Automatic band-cutter and feeder.



Patented Fel.l 2s, lem.

- A. VAN HUU'WELING.

AUTOMATIC BANDCUTTEB AND FEEDER.- l (Appximion med ont. 2a', 1899.) (noModel.) 2 sheets-sheet '36136 f l s' o u l l L v ,.1 i0 'l Il :l

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z5 @-59 K0 n 262.4 Ja 50 4g J Patented Feb. 26, IQDI. A VAN HDUWELING.AUTDMATIC BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER.

( Applimion md oet. 2s, 1899.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

'(No Model.)

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TH: Nouns niks no. worau'ruo.. msu n NI'TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR VAN HOUWELING, OF PELLA, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC BAND-CUTTER AND FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,763, dated February26, 1901.

Application flied October 23, 1899. Serial No. 734,537. (No inodelf:

To all whom, it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR VAN HoUwEL- ING, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pella, in the county of Marion and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Automatic Band-Cutter and Feeder, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are,first, to provide a simple, strong,durable, and inexpensive band-cutter and self-feeder forthreshing-machines, in which the quantity of grain fed to the thresheris automatically governed l and kept uniform, and when any grainapproaches the cylinder in tightly-bound bundles or in a wet or tangledcondition the conveyer is instantly automatically stopped, so that thesame cannot enter the thresher, and the cutter and upperconveyercontinue to operate and feed from the top of such bundles or masses ofgrain until the same are reduced in bulk sufficiently to be in propercondition for feeding to the cylinder when the conveyer againautomatically starts.

A further object is to provide a machine of this class in which thequantity of grain fed to the cylinder may be easily and quicklyregulated, so that when the grain is in loose bundles and dry it mayenter the cylinder in acomparatively thick layer and when tightly boundand wet it is fed in a comparatively thin layer.

My invention consists, essentially, in certain details in theconstruction and arrange` ment of a device above the conveyer, of afeeder which forces the top layer of the grain on the conveyer into thethresher and serves to drive the conveyer, and which is verticallymovable and so arranged and connected with the conveyer that when it israised by an excess of grain the conveyer is instantly stopped; and myinvention consists, further, in the construction, arrangement, andcombination, with the feeder and cutter mechanisms, of the means forconnecting the upper feeder and cutter with the conveyer, whereby theobjects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth,pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the bandcutter and feederwith the outer end of the conveyer broken off. Fig. 2 shows a verticallongitudinal section al view of the same. Fig. 3 shows a top view of thesaine with the cover of the frame removed. Fig. shows a detail viewillustrating the means for shaking the pan below the inner end of theconveyer, and Fig. 5 shows the means for adjusting the friction-wheel.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the reference-numeral 10 is usedto indicate the frame of the machine, and 11 a conveyer mounted foroperation in the frame, both of which are of the usual construction.Power for driving the conveyer is transmitted to the central shaft 12,as hereinafter described, and this power is transmitted-to the inner endconveyer-shaft 13 by means of the sprocket wheels and chain 14 15 16.The sprockets 17 on the shaft 12 are loosely mounted, while thesprockets 18 on the shaft 13 are fixed to drive the conveyer. `Thesprockets 19 on the shaft 20 serve to hold up the central portion of theconveyer as it is returning. It is to be understood that there are twoof each of the sprockets 17 and 19, although one only of each isillustrated.

On the shaft 12 a friction-wheel 2()a is feathered, and its hub isprovided with an annular groove 21. A lever 22 is fulcrumed to themachine frame, and its bifurcated end is placed in said annular groove,whereby the friction-wheel may be moved longitudinally upon the shaft. Asegmental ratchet 23 is also fixed to the frame, andaspring-actuatedratchet device 24 on the lever engages said rack, whereby thefriction-Wheel may be held in any position in which it may be placed.

I have positioned an auxiliary feeding-conveyer above the aforesaidconveyer composed of two shafts 25 and 26, connected by means of theside pieces 27. These side pieces are supported by means of the hangers28 at its forward end and the hangers29 at its rear end. Said hangers 28are pivoted at their upper ends to the arms 30, which are pivoted to themachine-frame and are held against a movement downwardly beyond thehorizontal by means of the stops 31. This permits a free verticalmovement of the forward end of said auxiliary conveyer from the positionillustrated in Fig. 2 upwardly. The forward IOO end of the auxiliaryconveyer is supported on the hangers 32, one of which is pivoted to alever 33 and the other to an arm 34, similar to the arms 30. Said leverand arm are fixed to a rock-shaft 33, which extends across themachine-frame. A segment 3G is fixed to the machine-frame to be engagedby a pawl 36, and a ring 36b in the handle of the lever provides meanswhereby this pawl may be held out of contact with the segment, so thatthe level' may have a free up-and-down movement. When it is desired tohold the cuttershaft elevated, the pawl is permitted to engage the rack.This gives the rear end of the auxiliary conveyer a free upwardmovement, but prevents it from moving downwardly,and also provides meanswhereby the said rear end may be raised and supported in au elevatedposition by said lever. Upon this shaft 25 I have secured a number ofrotary band-cutting knives 37 and fixed a series of sprockets A likenumber of sprockets 39 are fixed to the shaft 26, and the chains 40connect them. Said chains are provided with the projecting fingers 4l toengage the grain. In this shaft 25 I have also fixed a conefrictionwheel 42 and a balance-wheel 43. The said cone-wheel has anumber of surfaces of different diameters that maybe engaged by thefriction-wheel 20, so that the relative speeds of the shafts may bechanged.

I have provided for preventingalongitudinal movement of the auxiliaryconveyer by means of the arms 44, which are pivoted to the side of themachine-frame and have the shaft 25 mounted in their reareuds. On oneend of the shaft 25 is a belt-wheel 45, and a belt (not shown) connectsthe same with the threshing-machine. The said arms 44 are placed inalinement with these belt-wheels, so that an up-and-down movement of theshaft 25 will not materially affect the tension of the belt. Slots 47are made in the machine-frame to permit this up-and-down movement.

Beneath the inner end of the conveyer I have located a shaking-pan 4S toconduct any grain that may have been released from the bundle during thecutting and feeding` of the same to the thresher. The outer end of thispan is supported on a crank-shaft 49 and the inner end on the detachablepins 50. Hence when the shaft 49 is rotated the pan will be shaken, andwhen it is desired to obtain access to the cylinder the pins arewithdrawn and the inner end of the pan permitted to drop. In the saidcrank-shaft is a gear-wheel 5l, and adjacent thereto is a matinggearwheel 52 in mesh therewith and supported by an arm 53, that isattached to the crank-shaft and the shaft. of said gear 52, and also anarm 54, that attaches to the said shaft, and also to the shaft on whichthe rotary cutters are fixed. A belt-wheel 55 is also fixed to the shaftof said gear 52, and a beltwheel 56 on the rotary cutter-shaft isconnected therewith by means of the belt 57. Obviously the pan will beoperated during the movement of the cutters, and this will not beaffected by the upand-down movement of said cutter-shaft.

I have provided means also for lowering the inner end of the conveyer toprovide access to the cylinder, as follows: The shaft of said conveyerat the inner end is supported in the arms 58, which arms are pivoted attheir outer ends to the machine-frame, and their inner ends rest uponthe detachable pins 5S), inserted in the machine-frame. 'lhe slots G()in the side pieces of the frame are provided to permit this movement.

In practical operation and assuming that all of the parts were in theirproper relative positions, and assuming, further, that the grain to befed isin a normal or average condition as regards compactness anddryness, the large friction-wheel would be set to engage the centralportion of the cone friction-wheel. When power is applied to the shaftofthe rotary cutters, it is obvious that motion will be imparted to theconveyer through the friction-wheel and that the straw will advance onthe carrier, the bands be severed by the cutters, and the straw beevenly distributed and forced into the cylinder by the auxiliary uppercon veyers. Assuming that the sheaves of grain are placed on theconveyer uncvenly, or that a tangled and wet mass of grain appears thatis not readily severed and evenly distributed by the cutters, thecutters and the outer end of the auxiliary conveyer will be at onceraised, with the effect of disengaging the friction-wheels, and hencestopping the conveyer. However, the cutters and upper conveyer are notstopped, and they will contin ue to operate and will carry to thecylinder the top layer of said grain until so much is removed as willpermit the cutter-shaft to lower by gravity andthe friction-wheels againengage, whereupon the conveyer will again operate. If it should be foundthat this adjustment admits too much or too little grain to thethresher, the sliding friction-wheel may be placed in engagement witheither the larger or smaller portion of the cone friction-wheel by firstoperating the lever to raise the cutter-shaft, then manipulating thelever that controls the sliding friction-wheel. Furthermore, when thesliding friction wheel is placed in contact with the smaller portion ofthe cone-wheel, this will have the double effect of bringing the cutterscloser to the conveyer and at the same time reducing the speed of saidconveyer, so that with wet and tangled and tightly-bound grain a thinlayer may be fed slowly and with loose and dry grain a thick layer maybe fed rapidly.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby United States Letters Patent, is-- l. In a band-cutter and feeder,the combination of a frame, a conveyer in said frame, a frictionwheel onthe conveyer driving shaft, an auxiliary conveyer above the saidconveyer composed of two shafts, side pieces IOO IIO

IIS

for connecting the shafts, hangers pivoted to the side pieces and armspivoted to the frame and also to said hangers, arms pivoted to the frameand extended substantially parallel with the auxiliary conveyer andpivoted to the outer shaft thereof, a series of rotary cutters on theouter shaft, sprockets on both shafts and a series of chains havingprojecting fingers traveling over said sprockets and a friction-Wheel onsaid outer shaft to engage the aforesaid friction-Wheel.

2. In a band-cutter and feeder the combi,-

nation of a frame, a conveyer therein, to

carry grain to the thresher, a friction-Wheel feathered to thedriving-shaft of the conveyer, a lever for sliding the Wheel upon saidshaft, an auxiliary conveyer above the first, a @one friction-Wheelfixed to the driving-shaft of same to engage the aforesaidfriction-Wheel and means for permitting the up-and-down movement of theupper conveyer, a shakingpan below the inner end of the conveyer, acrank-shaft attached to its outer end, a cogwheel on the crank-shaft, asecond cog-Wheel meshed therewith, a belt -wheel connected with thesecond cog-Wheel, an arm for connecting thetwo cog-Wheels, an arm foroonnecting the second cog-Wheel with the shaft of the rotary cutters, abelt-Wheel on the said rotary cutter-shaft, and a belt for connectingsaid belt-Wheels, for the purposes stated.

3. In a band-cutter and feeder, the combination of an endless conveyerto carry grain to a threshing-cylinder, a friction-wheel slidingly butnon-rotatably mounted on one of the shafts thereof, means for adjustingthe said friction-Wheel longitudinally upon the Shaft, a second endlessconveyer mounted above the first and capable of bodily movementvertically, means for driving said upper conveyer, a friction-Wheelfixed to one of the shafts of said upper conveyer having a nurnber offlat peripheral surfaces, each of a different diameter and each capableof being engaged by the aforesaid friction-Wheel Whereby the lowerconveyer may be driven at different speeds and stopped when any one ofsaid flat peripheral surfaces on the upper friction-Wheel is inengagement With the firstmentioned friction-Wheel, upon an elevationbodily of said upper conveyer, for the purposes stated.

ARTHUR VAN HOUWELING.

Witnesses:

JAS. BARELS, THOMAS G. ORWIG.

